Welcome to Friday everybody where we have 5 new movies out in theaters this week. Daniel Craig is killing Nazis, we learn the true story of Notorious B.I.G. and pick axes are being thrown into our faces by a guy in a gas mask. Here’s what the buzz is.
Defiance
Starring: Daniel Craig, Liev Schreiber, Jamie Bell
Directed by: Edward Zwick
Plot: Three Jewish brothers lead a group of refugees through the Eastern European woods fighting off the Nazis and trying to survive the winter.
Rotten Tomatoes Freshness: 54%
Critic Consensus: “Professionally made but artistically uninspired, Ed Zwick’s story of Jews surviving WWII in the Belarus forest lacks the emotional punch of the actual history.”
My Bloody Valentine 3D
Starring: Jensen Ackles, Jaime King, Kerr Smith
Directed by: Patrick Lussier
Plot: On Valentine’s Day in the small town of Harmony a lunatic in a gas mask and armed with a pick axe comes to town and starts on a killing spree.
RT Freshness: 71%
CHUD: “An in-your-face bit of bloody fun that’s guaranteed to thrill those looking for a gory good time.”
Notorious
Starring: Jamal Woolard, Anthony Mackie, Derek Luke
Directed by: George Tillman
Plot: A biopic detailing the rise of the Notorious B.I.G., Biggie Smalls.
RT Freshness: 54%
Critic Consensus: “A biopic that lacks the luster of its subject, Notorious is generic rise-and-fall fare that still functions as a primer for those less familiar with the work and life of the hip hop icon.”
Hotel for Dogs
Starring: Emma Roberts, Jake T. Austin, Kyla Pratt and somehow Don Cheadle
Directed by: Thor Freudenthal
Plot: A group of friends turn an abandoned hotel into a shelter for dogs.
RT Freshness: 43%
Critic Consensus: “Hotel for Dogs may appeal to children and dog lovers, but it’s ultimately contrived, predictable, and simplistic.”
Paul Blart: Mall Cop
Starring: Kevin James, Jayma Mars, Keir O’Donnell
Directed by: Steve Carr
Plot: Mall cop Paul Blart must try to stop a group of Santa’s elves turned kidnappers who have taken over the mall.
RT Freshness: 27%
Critic Consensus: “Paul Blart: Mall Cop has some laughs, but its plot is flimsy and lacking in any sustained comic momentum.”